Advanced Landscape Painting: Independent Study and Special Topics

Mitchell Albala is a Seattle-based painter whose semi-abstract and atmospheric landscapes have been exhibited nationally and in Seattle at Lisa Harris Gallery. His book, Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice, is a national bestseller with nearly 37,000 copies in print. Mitchell is also a popular workshop instructor at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, Pacific Northwest Art School, Winslow Art Center, Daniel Smith Artist’s Materials, and Arte Umbria in Italy. He has lectured on Impressionism and landscape painting at the Seattle Art Museum and written for International Artist and Artists & Illustrators magazines. His popular painting blog, which serves as a companion to his book, was awarded #12 on feedspot.com’s Top 75 Painting Blogs.

This class unusual in that it is open to all media — oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel. So I am not going to list all the possible supplies for each media. As an advanced class, I expect that you have a good sense of the materials you need and are comfortable with for your particular medium. That said, there are some basic recommendations for various media below. If you have any questions or concerns, you can email me at mitch@mitchalbala.com.

Below are supplies that apply to everyone, followed by some specifics recommendations for each type of media. Be sure to read the “FOR EVERYONE” section below, which has important information about the photos we will be working from.

FOR OIL AND ACRYLIC PAINTERS: For specific colors, I recommend, at a minimum, this “Expanded Primaries” landscape painting palette: http://blog.mitchalbala.com/expanded-primaries-landscape-painting-palette/. If there are other colors you like and have had good results with, you may bring those, as well.

Painting Medium: Liquin or Gamblin’s Solvent-Free Gel (which I will have samples of in class).

FOR ACRYLIC PAINTERS: For specific colors, I recommend, at a minimum, this “Expanded Primaries” landscape painting palette: http://blog.mitchalbala.com/expanded-primaries-landscape-painting-palette/. If there are other colors you like and have had good results with, you may bring those, as well.

FOR PASTEL PAINTERS: Bring the set of pastels you usually work with. Pastel artists travel with sets that are sometimes an edited version of the full set they use indoors. This should be adequate for our purposes. To ensure that you have enough “colors” please bring a set that offers a good range of values, and in particular, a range of warm and cool neutral colors. The more pastels, the better. Small sets of 24, 48, 0r even 96 are not enough.

FOR EVERYONE:

PHOTO REFERENCE MATERIAL (absolutely essential for first class). We will be working from photographs in this class. I have a large collection of landscape photos, but you are welcome to bring your own (usage subject to my approval). For tips for selecting photos, visit this page at my website. http://blog.mitchalbala.com/guidelines-photos/

Sketchbook: along with whatever media and material you usually use to do preliminary studies, be it in graphite, paint or water-media.

“L” shaped croppers – Make your own from cardboard (for a picture, see the Supply Photo page at my website: blog.mitchalbala.com/supply-photos)

Paper Towels (the brown crunchy paper towels in the classroom are not adequate)

Tracing paper – 9 x 12 pad. Be sure it is very translucent; some varieties are very milky and opaque. Be sure you can see through it easily.

Questions or concerns, you can email me at mitch@mitchalbala.com

In this specially-structured class for the serious landscape painter, you’ll work on projects of your own under the guidance of instructor Mitchell Albala. With weekly in-depth critiques and lectures on special topics, you will cultivate your personal landscape vision and style, hone your existing skills, or work on specific issues like color and composition. Individual assignments are recommended on an as-needed basis. Open to all media. Ideal for those who have previously studied landscape painting at Gage.